Silence is Golden
by heatherpoulette
Summary: Alli cannot stand watching Clare flirt with Jake in plain sight of Eli and takes matters into her own hands.


**Disclaimer: blah blah blah I don't own Degrassi blah blah blah. If I did, Imogen and Bianca would truly become bffs and just kick Katie & Marisol's asses to the Degrassi curb.**

**Note: The fact that Alli and Eli have never exchanged a single word to one another truly intrigues and amuses me. I don't know if this was done purposefully or has just evolved on it's own. I will truly be crushed the first time they speak.**

She watched him. The ex-boyfriend of her ex-best friend. As he watched her ex-best friend flirt with her boyfriend-turned step brother-turned lover. Watched him with a look on his face that nearly broke her heart. It was a look of sadness, of longing, of despair. She remembered feeling that way briefly, a long time ago, when she had been madly in love with Johnny DiMarco yet knew they would never be together again. She wasn't really sure what had transpired between Clare and Jake since both did their very best to avoid her at all costs since that trip to the cabin, but she had heard rumors. Of how Clare had welcomed Jake back with open arms as well as into her bed despite Jake now legally being her step brother and having just kissed her best friend.

Alli sighed and shook her head to clear the memories of that night and the morning after. No matter how many times she discussed the matter with Jenna, and how wrong she knew her part in that kiss was, she still could not understand how Clare hated her with such a passion yet did not hold the same regard for Jake. As if he had had no part in the matter, as if his lips and his brain did not act on their own free will to kiss her. Somehow she was the one who was held responsible, she was the evil one, she was vilified while Jake was blameless in Clare's eyes.

The crowd was loud at Above the Dot. It seemed everyone was there to celebrate the long first week of school being over. Alli looked over to the next table where Dave was sitting with Adam, Drew, Katie and Bianca, staring longingly and wistfully over at her. She knew he was sorry for what he had done over the summer, however she was not ready to forgive him and did not know if she ever would. After all, what he had done was so much worse than what she had done to Clare, if Clare could not forgive her why would she be ready to forgive Dave?

It was just all too much to think about and she had had enough for the night. Just as she was about to leave to go home, she heard a shriek and a laugh from the corner where Clare and Jake were. She watched as Clare tossed her head as if amused by something Jake had said, watched as Clare looked over at Eli to see if he was watching her, and then turned her head back to Jake and laughed at something else he was whispering in her ear as his hand snaked up her shirt.

She couldn't believe that Clare could be that cold and uncaring of Eli's feelings. Truth be told Alli never had an affinity for Eli; she had always thought he was weird what with all the black he wore and the creepy car he drove, and how he became possessive and manipulative of her best friend. She had never hung out with the two of them, never gotten to know him, never wanted to get to know him. But as she sat there and continued to watch Eli watch Clare, and started to feel that Clare was doing things with Jake aware of Eli watching her, she truly felt bad for him. She watched Eli shake his head, say something she couldn't make out to Fiona and Imogen, and get up to leave. As she watched Clare move closer to Jake in a manner much more appropriate for the bedroom, she felt something snap in her. As Eli walked toward the door, with Clare watching him, Alli got up and purposefully strode toward Eli, taking his hand and pulling him out the door. She knew Clare was watching and she reveled in that knowledge.

She guided him down the stairs and into the alley. He looked at her with confusion and alarm, but she just shook her head and put her finger over his lips. She pushed him against the wall, not caring if anyone saw them, unbuckled his jeans and dropped to her knees. His silent protest disappeared almost as quickly as he finished, and when she stood up and wiped her mouth a few minutes later he looked at her with still with confusion but now awe. She shook her head at him, smiled coyly and emerged from the shadows with him not too far behind. As she glanced up at the entrance to Above The Dot, she saw Clare standing there, watching both of them in horror. She smiled and waved to both Clare and Jake who had now joined her there, turned around to Eli, kissed him on the cheek, and walked around the corner away from them all.

She continued to smile to herself as the whole walk home. _There, _she thought. _if you want to hate me, at least hate me for something good._

**End**


End file.
